WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 32 - SCREAM PART 2
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Kitchen. Morning.
A tired looking Ashley comes down to eat breakfast. Toby is already eating his and is watching the morning news on a small TV.
Ashley:
Good morning, Toby.
Toby:
Same to you. Do you want the good or the bad news first?
Ashley looks like, she´s prepared for it.
Ashley:
Give me the bad news first.
Toby:
Mom and dad were talking about grounding you yesterday. They´re not fans of your late night escapades.
Ashley:
I can handle mom and dad. What´s the good news?
Toby:
Apparently, you weren´t the only one, who was angry at that verdict yesterday.
Ashley:
I´m not surprised.
Toby:
At least, you didn´t do what these idiots did!
Ashley tries to play it cool.
Ashley:
What did they do?
Toby:
Apparently, they broke in and tried to burn their offices down. The sprinklers took care of it of course, but not before a lot of damage had already been done.
Ashley:
Not that I condone vandalism, but it serves them right!
Toby:
They said on the news, that the police expect to have these vandals apprehended before long. You can start the day off by being glad, that you´re not in their shoes!
Ashley nods, but her cool demeanor is already cracking.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Ext. School. Morning.
Ashley arrives at school with Toby and is trying her best to hide how nervous she is. They meet up with JT, who was waiting for Toby.
JT:
Guess, what happened last night?
Ashley:
You suddenly grew a brain?
JT:
You´re meaner than usual!
Ashley:
Sorry, I haven´t had a whole lot of sleep. Later, Tobes!
Toby:
Later!
Ashley heads inside.
JT:
What´s up with her?
Toby:
She´s herself?
JT:
That would do it for me!
Toby:
What´s the big news?
JT:
Guess, whose ratings are so great, that he´s getting a better timeslot?
Toby looks happy for him.
Toby:
That´s awesome! Congratulations.
JT:
Toby, my man, these are the kind of days, we´ll look back on and smile someday!
They head into the school.
3. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Terri meets up with Ashley.
Terri:
Did you watch the news this morning?
Ashley:
Toby told me. It´s crazy, huh?
Terri:
Do you think, they were at the rally?
Ashley:
Who´s to say? Can we talk about something else?
A student slams their locker shut in anger, which gets a small jump out of Ashley. Terri and her look over at the student, who´s just a normal boy, who´s having a bad morning, to Ashley´s relief.
Terri:
What did you think, it was?
Ashley:
Nothing.
Terri:
You´re not usually this jumpy.
Ashley:
It could be PMS related. Let´s get to class.
Terri:
Could be.
Terri can´t help looking a little suspicious.
4. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Ashley is in social studies class with among others , Terri, Ellie, Spinner, Paige, Hazel and Marco. Snake is running the class and is slightly nervous.
Snake:
Miss Oh is at home sick, so you´ll have to make due with me.
Paige raises her hand and he nods at her.
Paige:
Will she be back soon?
Snake:
Hopefully, yes. I thought, we´d start out by discussing a current event, that I´m sure must have interested many of you, the Yutani discrimination case.
Ashley raises her hand.
Ashley:
Shouldn´t we be concentrating on getting ready for finals?
Hazel:
I´d like to discuss it.
Snake:
What´s your point of view on the matter, Hazel?
Hazel:
They should be allowed to hire, who they want to. Simple as that.
Marco:
It´s not that simple!
Snake:
Why not, Marco?
Marco:
Saying it´s that simple, is the same as saying, that it´s okay to exclude certain groups. That is discrimination.
Paige:
I´m a little bit with both sides. On one hand, it isn´t okay to discriminate. In today´s society, that should go without saying. On the other hand, I don´t think they should feel forced to hire someone for a job, because they don´t have any gays working for them and have to look better to the outside world.
Hazel:
I´m against discrimination, as much as anyone is. Africa is full of people, who are unjustly discriminated against or persecuted, because they belong to this or that population group. This is not that kind of discrimination.
Ellie:
What kind of discrimination is it, then?
Hazel:
It´s suggested discrimination. Nothing has been proved, but the public have already condemned them, even though they might not have done anything wrong. How is that fair?
Snake:
Hazel makes a good point. Is it okay to condemn them, as Hazel put it, when judge has stated, that there wasn´t sufficient evidence to go to trial?
Ashley looks annoyed at having to talk about this, which doesn´t escape Terri´s eye.
5. Int. Hallway. Day.
Toby hurries to catch up with Liberty.
Toby:
It isn´t like you to show up unprepared.
Liberty:
I did prepare. I forgot all of it, when showtime came.
Toby:
It happens to the best of us. How´s Jimmy doing?
Liberty almost freezes at mention of his name.
Liberty:
What do you mean?
Toby:
Wasn´t he getting his leg scanned yesterday?
Liberty:
Oh, that! It´s not the best news, I´m afraid. He won´t be back on a court, for a long while still.
Toby:
Give him my best wishes. What did you think, I was talking about?
Liberty:
I´m worried about him. Sometimes he talks, like he wants to give up and ... forget it, I shouldn´t have said anything.
Toby:
It can´t be easy, going from being the star player, to sitting at home and doing as little as possible. Give him time.
Liberty:
He´s so desperate, that I´m afraid he´ll do anything, if he thinks it´ll help him to heal faster.
Toby:
As in steroids?
Liberty:
You didn´t hear it from me.
Toby:
Have you seen him take them?
Liberty:
No and you can´t tell anyone. Swear.
Toby:
I swear. If he needs help, then you should tell his parents. You can´t ignore it and pretend, that everything is fine.
Liberty:
What if I lose him?
Toby:
I know you, Liberty. It´s not in you, to not act on this. Either way, he´ll thank you later.
Liberty still looks unsure of what to do.
6. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
It´s lunch time and Ashley is eating hers with Alex and Amy. She´s not really there in mind, however.
Amy:
I hope, that they find those morons and throw the book at them!
Alex:
How dumb do you have to be, to something like that?
Ashley:
They probably thought, that they were doing right.
Amy:
If they thought that, then they need to get their heads checked!
Alex:
You´re not going to win over public opinion, by setting fire to a building. If anything, they´ve hurt the cause more, than they helped it.
Ashley:
Can we not talk about this? I feel like, it´s been the sole subject all morning.
Alex:
We could talk about, what we´re gonna do tonight. I have the evening off.
Amy smiles to herself.
Amy:
That sounds like my cue, to leave you two lovebirds alone.
She grabs her tray and leaves them to talk.
Ashley:
I don´t know, if I´ll be much fun to be around.
Alex takes her hand and looks her in the eyes.
Alex:
I get, that you´re disappointed. I am too, but life has to go on.
Ashley:
What if it can´t?
Alex smiles reassuringly at her.
Alex:
It feels that way now, but there will be other opportunities like this and things will change in time. I have to keep believing that.
Ashley:
It feels like we didn´t accomplish anything. Like my time would have been better spent, sitting at home and playing Cluedo with my brother or something!
Alex:
If you changed one person´s mind, isn´t that still something to be proud of?
Ashley:
Maybe, I guess.
She goes back to picking at her food.
7. Int. PC Room. Day.
Liberty is reading up on how to do an intervention, with Spinner sitting next to her. He shakes his head.
Spinner:
I never thought, it would come to this.
Liberty:
Do you think anyone, who´s had to do one of these, thought they would?
Spinner:
Probably not. I´m such in idiot!
Liberty:
It can´t be your fault, that it´s come this far.
Spinner:
I have my share of the blame.
Liberty makes eye contact with him.
Liberty:
How?
Spinner:
I should have said no, when asked me to get pain killers for him, but I wanted to be the best friend, I could be.
Liberty:
You got him started?
Spinner:
It was only, so he could play through his foot injury and not miss his chance to impress the scouts. I should have known better.
Liberty:
Where did you get them?
Spinner:
A guy, I know from my ravine days. If I´d said no, then none of this would have happened. His foot would have kept him from playing, but he´d be back on the court by now. His future would look bright and he wouldn´t feel any need to be drugged up.
Liberty can see how bad he feels about it and looks sympathetic with him.
Liberty:
Jimmy is a big boy. He made the decision, to continue taking them on his own.
Spinner:
I saw the signs. I guess, I was too afraid of messing up our friendship, to say no.
Liberty:
And you think, you´re the first one in history, to be guilty of that? Come on, Spinner! You might not be an academic marvel, but you´re not that dumb!
She gets a small smile out of him.
Spinner:
I suppose not.
Liberty:
What´s important, is that both you and Jimmy learn from this. What do we say about drugs?
Spinner:
That we shouldn´t do them, even though a whole lot of people do?
Liberty:
Something like that! You can´t change what´s done, so let´s concentrate on the future.
Spinner:
Sounds like a plan. What´s the first step?
Liberty:
According to the website, we need to confront him. It´ll carry more weight, if it´s coming from the both of us.
Spinner:
Let´s do it tonight. There´s no use in delaying the inevitable.
Liberty:
Should we involve his parents?
Spinner:
I´d rather not. They´ll freak, if they find out!
Liberty:
We´ll call telling them option B. Agreed?
He nods in agreement and it looks like, they have a plan.
8. Ext. Atrium. Day.
Ashley is getting some alone time sitting on a bench and is trying to read a book, but her head is clearly not in it and she has to go back a few pages, because she doesn´t remember what she´s read. Terri cautiously approaches her.
Terri:
I can leave, if you want to be alone.
Ashley looks up at her and smiles at her.
Ashley:
I´m on school property. No one says, that you can´t be here too.
She makes room for Terri, who takes a seat next to her.
Terri:
What are you reading?
Ashley:
Stephen King´s "The Dark Half".
Terri:
What´s it about?
Ashley:
It´s basically King´s take on "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". A mild mannered college professor has an alias, that he writes horror novels as and in order to tap into them, he has to tap into his own dark side and pretend to become his alias. Since this is King, his alias comes to life as an identical copy of himself and tries to take his life over, by framing him as a serial killer.
Terri:
That sounds way too scary, for my liking! I´ll stick to my Danielle Steele novels.
Ashley:
It´s actually really good. King´s novels are hit or miss with me, but I can easily identify with him. People will go to great lengths and even try to change themselves, if they become completely focused on one goal. The story is a bit far out, but it is true what it says about us as people.
Terri:
That we all have a dark half?
Ashley smiles at her.
Ashley:
In your case, it´s more like a dark tip of a fingernail!
Terri:
In yours?
Ashley:
It´s there. Not in an "I want to kill people" way, let me make that clear!
Terri:
That´s a relief!
Ashley:
I can´t deny that there are times, where I´ve wanted to take things to extremes, to make things the way, I want them to be.
Terri:
Like those vandals did?
Ashley:
Exactly like that. Now I´m starting to see, that if you do those things, then you´re only shooting yourself in the foot. It might work one time out of a thousand, but the other nine hundred and ninety-nine times, you´ll hurt yourself as much or worse, as those you´re trying to hurt.
Terri gathers her nerve to ask her.
Terri:
Ash, you weren´t a part of it, were you?
Ash slowly nods. Terri looks disappointed in her.
Ashley:
I had no idea, that they brought Molotov cocktails.
Terri:
You have to tell the police. They´ll go easier on you, than if they catch you.
Ashley:
I know. Please don´t tell anyone, Terri.
Terri:
Of course, I won´t. But you should do it, for your own sake.
Ashley nods in agreement, but she clearly fears it.
9. Ext. Street. Evening.
Liberty meets up with Spinner outside of Jimmy´s house. He looks even more scared of doing this, than she does.
Liberty:
Are you ready?
Spinner:
To possibly lose the best friend, I´ve ever had?
Liberty:
You´re not the only one, who has a lot on the line.
Spinner:
Do you love him?
Liberty gets a little shy at being asked so directly, but nods.
Liberty:
Yeah, I do.
Spinner:
It´s not always an easy job, is it?
They smile at each other and head towards the house.
10. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Liberty and Spinner are waiting for Jimmy with Jimmy´s dad.
Jimmy´s Dad:
He´ll only be a moment.
Liberty:
That´s okay. It´s not like we´re on a schedule or anything.
Jimmy´s Dad:
A simple thing like getting dressed takes a while, when you´re in his situation.
Spinner:
It takes me forever too, but that´s only because I can´t decide, which of my three hoodies to wear.
His joke gets a smile out of the other two, as Jimmy comes rolling in. His eyes are slightly glassy, but he´s glad to see them.
Jimmy:
Have you come to save me from boredom?
Spinner:
Something like that.
Jimmy:
Thank God. My leg has been acting up like crazy!
Liberty:
Is that why you weren´t in school?
Jimmy´s Dad:
My orders. He´s had enough setbacks, as it is.
Jimmy:
Which my parents won´t let me forget, as you see.
Jimmy´s Dad:
We´re only looking out for you, Jimmy.
Jimmy:
Yeah, whatever. Come, guys.
Jimmy rolls off towards his room. Jimmy´s dad looks frustrated, that he won´t listen.
11. Int. Ashley´s Room. Evening.
Ashley and Alex are having a girlfriend evening. Alex throws a popcorn into Ashley´s mouth and they kiss.
Ashley:
This was exactly what I needed.
Alex:
Same here. It sure beats listening to snot nosed kids crying and getting hit on by half the guys.
Ashley:
Only half? The other half are either blind or devoid of taste!
Alex:
It´s not always guys, who hit on me.
Ashley:
Dogs know good people, when they see them!
They smile at each other and Ashley´s phone rings. She looks annoyed, as she looks at it.
Ashley:
It´s probably another salesman. Never give your real phone number to a website!
Alex:
You couldn´t have told yourself that?
Ashley puts the phone to her ear.
Ashley:
Ashley here.
Gail (voice over):
Are you alone?
Ashley becomes paranoid.
Ashley:
I´m with my girlfriend.
Alex:
Who is it?
Ashley:
My grandmother.
Alex seems to buy it.
Gail (voice over):
Excuse yourself. She can´t hear this.
Ashley:
I´ll take this out in the hall. It sounds serious.
Alex:
I´ll be right here waiting for you.
Ashley leaves her and shuts the door behind herself. Alex thinks nothing of it and eats some more popcorn.
12. Int. Hall. Evening.
Ashley listens intently.
Gail (voice over):
I had to use a different number. We need to talk.
Ashley:
Gail ...
Gail (voice over):
We can discuss it later. I´ll text you an address to turn up at. Be there in an hour, sharp.
Ashley:
What about ...
The one on the other end hangs up, before she gets the chance to finish her sentence.
13. Int. Ashley´s Room. Evening.
Ashley comes back in, still looking shook up.
Ashley:
Alex, I´m sorry, but I have to leave for an hour or two.
Alex:
Is everything okay?
Ashley:
I don´t know. I hope, it is.
Alex:
Do you want me to come with you?
Ashley:
This is something, I have to do on my own.
She clearly isn´t looking forward to it.
14. Int. Jimmy´s Room. Evening.
Liberty and Spinner aren´t getting the reaction, they expected.
Jimmy:
I appreciate the concern, but there´s nothing to worry over!
Liberty:
I saw that Lucas guy hand a bag to you.
Jimmy:
Did you see what was in it?
Liberty:
I guess not.
Jimmy:
It wasn´t anything, you can´t buy over the counter at any drug store.
Spinner:
What about you falling asleep in class?
Jimmy:
It takes me forever to fall asleep. I had maybe slept a few hours that night. I´ve got it under control, so stop worrying.
Liberty and Spinner make eye contact and silently agree, that this isn´t getting them anywhere.
15. Ext. Street. Evening.
Liberty and Spinner are talking after their visit to Jimmy.
Spinner:
You can only call that a complete denial.
Liberty:
Either we´re wrong, or he´s a great liar.
Spinner:
Drug addicts generally are.
Liberty:
If only, there was some way to prove, that Lucas sold him drugs.
Spinner gets an idea.
16. Ext. Alley. Evening.
Ashley comes walking down the alley, which is quite creepy. She´d clearly rather not be there.
Man:
Ashley?
She gets a small shock and instinctively looks at him, but he´s not entirely visible in the dark.
Man:
Look straight ahead and listen.
Ashley looks away from him.
Ashley:
Who are you?
Man:
That doesn´t matter. What matters, is that you keep your mouth shut!
Ashley:
I haven´t told anyone.
Man:
Make sure, it stays that way.
Ashley:
Did Gail send you?
Man:
She´s skipped town, along with the other two.
Ashley:
I can´t!
Man:
She wants you to go on like normal, as if it never happened.
Ashley:
What if I can´t?
Man:
Do I have to say it? Have a pleasant evening, miss Kerwin.
He walks away from her and she takes a deep breath of relief.
17. Int. Hallway. Evening.
Ashley has come home and tries to sneak into her room unheard in the dark, but gets busted, when the light is turned on. Her parents look at her sternly.
Ashley´s Mom:
Where have you been?
Ashley:
It´s a long story. I should get to bed.
Ashley´s Dad:
Do you have something, you need to tell us?
Ashley´s Mom:
Like what you were out doing late last night?
Ashley freezes, thinking that they know.
Ashley:
I can explain ...
Ashley´s Dad:
It´s that Alex girl, isn´t it? I knew, she would be a bad influence on you!
Ashley´s Mom:
From now on, you´re following a ten o´clock curfew, you hear?
Ashley tries to look disappointed and hide her relief.
Ashley:
Whatever you say, mom.
Ashley´s Dad:
Go to bed. We´ll figure out your punishment in the morning.
Ashley nods at them and walks into her room. Her parents clearly worry about her.
18. Int. Ashley´s Room. Night.
Ashley is lying awake and staring up at the ceiling.
Ashley:
How did you get yourself into this?
She looks sad and closes her eyes.
CLOSING CREDITS